Created as a respectful nod to the Le Mans-dominating GT40, the first-generation Ford GT road car is without a doubt a future classic, and low-mileage examples up for sale are creeping towards the half-million-dollar mark. This is enough to make the second-generation Ford GT nervous, which, while an excellent car, lacks a V8 and proper six-speed manual transmission like the first generation boasts. How do you make the old GT even better? Why, you chop the top of course.
This 2006 Ford GTX1 currently for sale on Bring a Trailer is one of roughly 40 GT roadster conversions still in existence. Fabricated by convertible-conversion shop Genaddi Design Group, this package featured more than just a removable carbon fiber roof. Complementary modifications included Sparco racing seats, Porsche Carrera GT-inspired headrests, GTX1-branded floor mats and door sills badges, a transparent engine cover, and a Ford Performance upgrade that added Wilwood brakes and boosted the supercharged 5.4-liter V8 to 700 horsepower.
While it was, in the end, an aftermarket upgrade, the Genaddi conversion was Ford-born and Ford-backed. According to Car and Driver, Ford GT development engineer Kip Ewing birthed the idea when he sliced the top off of a scale model of his team’s creation. The project was green-lighted almost immediately, and production was given to Genaddi. Ewing traveled to the shop’s Wisconsin headquarters each week to oversee the build process. The package cost $38,000 (nearly $50,000 today adjusted for inflation) in addition to the price of the car. Said to be inspired by the X-1 roadster prototypes in the original GT40’s development, the GTX1 debuted at the 2005 SEMA show to overwhelmingly positive reception.
This particular example is the 33rd GTX1 built and was just recently purchased from its original owner, who put 11,500 miles on it in 13 years. The car is finished in Mark IV Red (with the optional white stripe delete) with an ebony black interior and features all of the aforementioned goodies included with the Genaddi conversion.
With a current bid of $270,000 at the time of writing, the GTX1 does command a hefty premium over the newest mid-engined American targa top, the $60,000 2020 Chevrolet Corvette. Still, the GTX1’s collectability, image, performance, and inclusion of a stick shift is worth it to some.